Fertilizer-didtributer.



No. 660,600. Patented 0st. 30, I900.

' A. TAPLIN.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

(Application filed July 2a, 1900.\ N0 Model.) 2 SheetsSheet l.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVIN TAPLIN, OF FORESTVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

- FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,600 dated October30, 1900.

Application filed July 28, 1900.

To (0M whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN TAPLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Forestville, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements inFertilizer-Distributers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fertilizer-distributers; and theobjects of my improvements are simplicity and economy in constructionand efliciency and convenience in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my machinewith a portion broken away. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation on theline on no of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view ofagitator-lever and connected parts, the plane of section being by theleft-hand side of the liftinglever 8, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are planviews of a portion of the agitator-lever and its agitator-wheel. Fig. 6is a detached side view showing the inner side of the rear wall of thehopper. Fig. 7 isa central longitudinal section of the agitator-leverand connected parts.

A designates the shaft or axle upon which one of the driving wheels B Bis rigidly mounted, so as to rotate the axle as the machine is drawnalong over the ground. To this axle a suitable frame is attached in anyproper manner. The said frame, as shown, consists of two side bars 9,secured by their rear ends to the axles by means of straps 10, the saidside bars being connected by crossbars 11 and 12. As shown, the saidside bars are extended forwardly and form the shafts between which ahorse may be hitched for drawing the machine' Upon the side bars Isecure two pairs of brackets, of which the front brackets 13 slantforwardly a little more than the rear brackets 14, as shown in Fig. 2.Upon these brackets I mount the front and rear walls 15 and 16 of the V-shaped hopper and provide them with suitable end pieces to close theends of the hopper. The front and rear hopper walls or boards do notquite meet each other, so that a continuous slot is left at the bottomof the hopper for its whole length. The hopper is long and extendstransversely for distributing fertilizer broadcast, the continuous slotextending from end to end of the hopper. The rear of the hopper.

Serial No. 25,180. (No modelwall of the hopper does not come down quiteso far as theft-out wall, thus leaving the slot fully as wide as willever be required. I regulate the width of this continuous slot by meansof a gate 17, that lies flatly upon the inner side of the rear wall 16,where it may be held down by means of a strap or guide 18, securedthereto, as shown in Fig. 6, there being three of said straps or guidesin the length I also provide the said gate with two adjusting-rods 19,the same being screw-threaded at their upper ends and passing looselythrough lugs 20, mounted near the upper edge of the wall or board 16.Stopnuts 21 on opposite sides of the lugs 20 enable me to adjust therods 19, and consequently the gate 17, so as to open or close thecontinuous slot at the lower. part of the hopper, as maybe desired.Underneath this slot in the hopper and extendinglengthwise therewith isthe agitator-bar 32, which is supported in the hearings or guides 22, soas to slide freely longitudinally. Projecting from the top of this barare the agitator-pins 33, which extend through the slot in the bottom upinto said hopper, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I prefer to use long andshort pins alternating each other, as shown.

Upon the upper side of the cross-bar 11 I pivot the agitator-lever 23upon the bolt 24, the upper end of which bolt is supported in a bridge25, so that the said agitatordever may be raised and lowered on itspivot as well as vibrated thereon. The front end of the agitater-leverextends into a loop or socket 26 on the under side of the agitator-bar32, so that the vibratory motion of the said lever imparts alongitudinal reciprocating movement to the agitator-bar.

Upon the axle, rigidly mounted, so as to rotate therewith, are theagitator-wheels 27, or What may be called a double wheel, inasmuch asthe said two wheels have a common hub. Each member is provided with fourradial lugs 28, rounded on their outer sides and straight on the inside,as shown. The lugs on the two wheels or two members are so arranged thateach lug is directly opposite the middle point between two lugs of theopposite member of the said wheel. The rear end of the agitator-lever isbifurcated and provided with two oppositely-inclined pallets 29 andclearing-space 30, Figs. 4 and 5, the inclined faces of the said palletsextending longitudinally of the lever for being acted upon by the saidagitator-wheel, something after the manner of an escapement, as will bereadily understood by an examination of Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 shows thelever just after it has been thrown in one direction and ready to bethrown in the opposite direction by engagement with the right-handmember of the agitator-wheel, the lever being arranged tangentiallytothe said wheel and the top of said wheel moving toward the pallets onthe agitator-lever. Fig. 5 shows the agitatinglever, whereby the forceof the said lugs is exerted mainly in the endwise direction of the saidlever instead of transversely to its length at right angles to its broadsides, in the position it has been left in when acted upon by theright-hand member of the wheel and just ready to be acted upon by thelefthand member. I

In order that the agitator-lever may be thrown entirely out of actionand the bottom of the hopper closed, so that the machine may be drivenfrom place to place without operating the agitator and without losingthe fertilizer, I arrange the lifting-lever 8 in a slot within thecross-piece 11, the said lever being pivoted on the bolt 31 and arrangedto lift the agitator-lever bodily on its pivot, so as not only to carrythe agitator-lever out of action, but also so as to raise theagitator-bar closely up to the slot in the bottom of the hopper to closethe same. Figs. 3 and 7 show detached views of the lifting and agitatorlevers in connection with the agitator-bar, Fig. 3 showing the agitatorlever and bar as partly lifted. When the lifting lever has been thrownstill farther to carry its end a little past the dead-center, it willhold the agitator bar and lever in their elevated position.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction hereindisclosed may be made, and therefore I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described,but desire the liberty to make such changes in working my invention asmay fairly come within the spirit and scope of the same.

I am aware that prior patents show forked agitator levers and wheels,with the said levers arranged substantially radial to the Wheel and withthe wheel provided with sideacting cams that bear upon the levertransversely to its length and at right angles to its broad sides, and Ihereby disclaim the same.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the hopper having thecontinuous longitudinal slot at its bottom, with the agitator-barunderneath said slot, the lifting-lever 8, operatively connected withthe said agitator-bar, whereby the said bar may be readily lifted bymeans of the said lever to raise the bar into a position for closing theslot in the bottom of the hopper when desired, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a i'ertilizer-distributer, the combination of a doubleagitator-wheel both members of which are provided with radial lugs, withthe agitator-lever having opposing pallets inclined in the longitudinaldirection of the said lever, the said lever being mounted tangentiallyto the said wheel whereby the said radial lugs act on the inclinedpallets in the longitudinal direction of the said lever, the agitatorconnected with the said lever, and the hopper within which the agitatoris mounted, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the agitator wheel and lever with the pivotal boltand bridge 25 for the said lever whereby the said lever may oscillate onsaid bolt and also move longitudinally thereto, and the lifting-lever 8for raising the said lever out of action with the said wheel whendesired, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the agitator wheel and lever, with the pivotalbolt for said lever upon which it is mounted to oscillate and for movinglongitudinally to said bolt, the hopper having a slot at the bottom, theagitatorbar underneath the said hopper and connected by one end with thesaid agitator-lever, and means for lifting the said agitator lever andbar for throwing the agitator out of operation and closing the slot atthe bottom of the hopper, substantially as described.

ALVIN TAPLIN.

Witnesses:

JAMES SHEPARD, B. O. WooDFoRD.

